jyo STARLIGHT AND SUNSHINE. 



them. I have included the hepatica mainly on the witness of 

 other noses than my own, it never having revealed to me an 

 odor entitled to the distinction of fragrance; certainly no more 

 so than the bloodroot and wind-flower (Anemone nemorosd), which 

 have a breath but not a perfume. The inflorescence of the sweet 

 golden-rod (Solidago odora) emits a distinct scent from that of its 

 leaves, and various others of the mints than that mentioned yield 

 a sweet blossom-breath which is lost in the aroma of their foliage. 

 I have drawn the line at the secretive blooms, referring mainly 

 to such spontaneous communicative examples as are wont 



"to bud out faire and throwe their sweete smels all arownd." 



A few which I have marked with a star may be supplemented 

 with a few words ; the dandelion, for instance, without even re- 

 sorting to the humblebee fashion of smelling, even as you recline 

 near it, yields a readily perceptible and pleasant odor. The gin- 

 seng ground-nut and moth mullein are or are not odorous accord- 

 ing to their whim. I have given four species of violets, only two 

 of which are commonly accorded perfume, V. blanda and V. Can- 

 adensis. The yellow species, so feelingly commemorated in Bry- 

 ant's poem, is included here in honor of the poet, who detected its 

 " faint perfume in the virgin air " of April, but which has as yet 

 brought no such sweet message to me. As to the V. Selkirki, I 

 confess to a venture as to title, having ascribed that name to a 

 specimen which was brought to me in Williamstown, Mass., late 

 in October, several years ago, and which, undetermined at the 

 time in the absence of my botany, was without doubt the species 

 credited. It was larger by considerable than any other of our wild 

 violets, with the possible exception of the bird-foot (V.pedata), and 

 its other characters plainly referred it to the species given. But 

 in addition it exhaled a fragrance almost equal to the delicious 

 English species, and in this respect far surpassed either of our 

 two other fragrant violets. I shall always regret that circum- 

 stances prevented my seeking the plant in its habitat and secur- 

 ing its seed, for no such fragrant violet is accredited to our flora. 



